Giancarlo Stanton got to go back to Miami on Friday night.
The big slugger who came to the big leagues with the Marlins as Mike Stanton made the most of his return to south Florida in a Yankees uniform.
Stanton clobbered a home run, 116 miles per hour off the bat.
It was the 438th of Stanton’s career. He’s now tied for 46th on the all-time list.
Stanton has moved into a tie with Andre Dawson, the Cubs legend. Next up on the list at No. 45: Paul Konerko, the White Sox superstar who hit 439 homers in his career.
What makes this even more impressive? Stanton is the active leader in home runs. Next up behind him is Mike Trout, who has 397 in his career.
The righty masher played the first eight years of his career with the Marlins. He hit 267 homers for them.
It’s now into his eighth season with the Yankees, as well. Stanton has 171 home runs and counting for New York.
He’s played a lot fewer games in his Yankees tenure, despite the same amount of seasons, due to injuries.
But when Stanton is going well, he still crushes the baseball. He showed that with a prolific postseason last year as the Yankees went on a run to the World Series.
Stanton has only played in 33 games this season. Injuries in both elbows kept him out for much of the year.
But now that he’s back, Stanton has nine homers in those 33 games. He looks a lot like his old self, and that’s big news for the Yankees.
From where I’m sitting, this homecoming blast in Miami feels like more than just another milestone. It’s a reminder of what Stanton can still do when healthy.
